Network nodes or elements, e.g., routers, switches, and hosts, often include buffers that obtain and effectively hold packets for a period of time before allowing the packets to be transmitted through a network, e.g., a packet-switched computer network. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, buffering generally reduces the likelihood that packets are dropped or lost, and allows for network bandwidth to be used efficiently.
As the volume of Internet traffic increases, demands for buffering capabilities increases. Thus, the sizes of buffers incorporated into network nodes are also increasing. As such, the volume of packets that may be stored in a buffer may be excessive. That is, there is often an excess buffering of packets within a network.
Bufferbloat occurs when excess buffering of packets inside a network causes high latency and jitter. Often, bufferbloat also causes overall network throughput to be compromised. High latency, jitter, and loss of overall network throughput generally have an adverse effect on the performance of a network.